Explorers too much for Aurora girls

For better or worse, the Aurora girls basketball team got a taste of what its sectional-district tournament will look like.

The Greenmen fell to 11-5 on the season after suffering an 82-55 loss to Hudson last night at Aurora High School.

Hudson, which is tied for eighth with Perrysburg in the Associated Press Division I state poll and could meet Aurora again in the Ellet Division I sectional-district tournament, led by double digits most of the way. Both teams emptied their benches in the fourth quarter as the Explorers built a convincing 70-49 lead heading into the final eight minutes.

"They're a great team," Greenmen coach Erika Schultz said of Hudson. "I think we cut it to eight in the second quarter and then they hit two threes. That kind of killed the momentum. But I thought we played well. We're just not quite as deep as they are."

Aurora, like many teams throughout the season, had no answer for Hannah Boesinger. The 5-foot-11 Explorers' senior forward finished with a game-high 33 points despite not playing the entire fourth quarter.

The Greenmen could not solve Boesinger when she was near the basket as she muscled her way to the basket despite facing multiple Greenmen defenders. If Aurora left her outside, she buried 3-pointers. Boesinger finished with a game-high 6 triples on the night.

"She's a great player," Schultz said of Boesinger. "I think we just got tired in the second half."

The Greenmen got within 11 (46-35) early in the third quarter, but Hudson had a knack for responding when things got a little uneasy.

Both teams were missing their starting point guards. The Explorers were missing senior Kelly Gough, who suffered a concussion during Hudson's game against Stow-Munroe Falls Saturday.

Aurora senior point guard Alexa DeBord is out for the season with a back injury. The Greenmen also were missing senior post Madelyn Gilley, who is out with an ankle injury. Schultz said the team is hoping Gilley will return before the season ends.

Senior guard/post Allison Howard did play for Aurora. But she wasn't 100 percent by a long shot.

"She's got some kind of a bug," Schultz said. "That's why I took her out in the fourth quarter."

While no coach likes losing, Schultz was pleased with her team's effort.

"I thought we played well in stretches," she said. "It just got a little out of hand at the end. I thought we played hard, but we just ran out of gas."

Junior guard Jackie Ulmer had 16 points for the Explorers, who had 10 players score at least two points.